With the exception of areas having designated bicycle paths, bicycle riders are forced to share streets with faster, larger and more powerful vehicles, and are at high risk in the event of a vehicle/bicycle collision. It is frequently difficult for drivers of automobiles, buses and trucks to see bicycle traffic when light levels are low such as at dusk, dawn or at night. Since bicyclists must follow traffic rules, and can not ride against vehicular traffic flow which would permit them to watch and avoid oncoming traffic, the rider is unable to readily keep track of following traffic which unfortunately results in all too frequent automobile-bicycle accidents.
While bicycles are generally equipped with rear reflectors, these stationary lights have been unsatisfactory in solving the visibility problem, and there has remained a long-standing need for an improved rear-mounted bicycle light. The present invention fulfills that need.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a bicycle safety light which improves the visibility of the bicycle and rider during periods of low light levels such as at dawn, dusk and at night.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a rear-mounted flashing bicycle light having a battery-powered, reciprocally converging, sequentially patterned light-emitting diode (LED) display which improves the visibility of a bicycle to following traffic.
Another object of this invention is to provide a rear-mounted bicycle light which improves the location recognition of the bicycle to following traffic.